


What You Remember Most

by Ramabear (RyMagnatar)



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Humanstuck, M/M, Post-Sburb/Sgrub, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-04 20:06:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5346902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyMagnatar/pseuds/Ramabear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave, working at an 24hr diner, takes the order of a strange new customer, one he's sure he's never seen before but knows his last name.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What You Remember Most

He had stains on his hands. That was the first thing Dave noticed when he set down the coffee mug and slid the little bowl of creamers onto the table. He gave his best _I’m Your Waiter, Give Me A Nice Tip_ smile and looked up from the hands that were curled together over the flat, closed menu. “So what are we having today?”

His eyes were the second thing that Dave noticed. They were purple. Or at least a blue that reflected the purple of his scarf so well that they looked purple. Or maybe they reflected the red of Dave’s own shirt and combined light and pigment to look like that kind of violet found in paint tubes like the ones he had back home. His smile never wavered, but Dave lost himself a little in those eyes.

A snap of fingers made Dave jerk to attention and this handsome guy, with the purple eyes and the stains on his fingers and a little scowl on his lips, glared up at him. “Are you _listening_ , Strider? I said I want the two eggs and sausage with the buttermilk pancakes. And give me fruit with it, not any damn vegetables.”

Dave blinks, nods, and asks, “How do you want the eggs?”

“Running.” And now the guy was pouring creamer into his coffee, plus enough sugar to make Dave wince. “Running and screaming if I could fuckin’ get it.” He pushed the menu away and Dave scooped it out without a second though.

“Got it. It’ll be out in a moment.” He flashed another one of those quick smiles, this time seeing how the guy stared at him when he gave it, and walked off to take the order back to the kitchen.

It wasn’t until he was putting the ticket up, writing it away from the table in that weird jargon that had become second nature to him for the chef when he realized something. That customer had called him _Strider_.

Dave didn’t wear his shades at work. He didn’t even have a fucking nametag. Half the time he introduced himself as David at work to customers, just because he could.

But he never gave out his last name.

Drifting down the rows of tables, coffee pot in hand, Dave stopped at each table with a half smile and an offer of a refill. It was nearly nine at night, the time of night where people either had given up coffee hours ago or were on their eight cup in order to make it through the whole night. He got a few refills from regulars and then, of course, had made his way around to the purple eyed stranger’s table.

He hadn’t gotten his food yet and so there was nothing on the table in front of him but the cup of coffee held between his two hands. He stared out the window, although the lights inside cast a glare that was hard to see beyond. Dave cleared his throat softly to get his attention.

The man didn’t look away from the window. He simply held his cup out for the refill, which Dave gave in silence. He did mumble a “Thanks,” as he reached for more creamer.

“Your food’ll be out in a moment.”

This got the man’s attention. Perhaps it had been the tone, Dave thought as he looked at the man’s narrow jaw and sharp features. He’d spoken softly, doing what he could to preserve the quiet that the man wrapped around himself like a cape. He certainly looked like the cape wearing type.

Dave blinked and his gaze flicked from the man’s face to his shoulders. A cape? What, like some sort of superhero?

_Or like a knight. Or a prince._

The man looked at him and his lips twitched like he might be trying to smile. Instead of letting it happen, though, he ducked his chin and turned his head back out to the window. Dave, feeling freed from the weird moment, bobbed his head in acknowledgement of his dismissal and carried on his job of refilling mugs of caffeine.

_Definitely more like a prince._

Dave avoided the table until the food was ready. He carried it out, smile plastered back on his face, and set it down in front of the man. “Here you go. Let me know if there’s anything else you need.”

“I _need_ you to stop smiling at me like that,” The man snapped. His lip was pulled back in a sneer and his eyes were dark. Dave blinked at him, stunned. “You _never_ looked like that before. Stop doing it.”

That was when Dave knew, without a doubt. He locked his knees to keep from flashstepping away, his immediate response to meeting _anyone_ from the game and tried to make his mouth open, his throat loosen, his tongue move.

Those eyes weren’t reflecting _anything_. They were purple all on their own, just like his were red all on their own. His mind grasped after the loose memories of that other-world, other-life, other-self, but Dave only brushed against the ones of him dying over and over and over and-

Another finger snap woke him up and he blinked down.

“You remember too? But you don’t want to. I can tell.” Those eyes narrowed. His shoulders hunched. He lifted his mug to his lips and muttered, “But you don’t remember who I am, do you?”

“I remember,” Dave found the words at last, but they dropped out of his mouth like broken teeth he had to spit out one at a time. “Ampora. Eridan Ampora. I didn’t know you, the main timeline you, before you died though. We met afterwards. In the dream bubbles.”

Eridan’s oh-so-violet eyes grew wider and wider. _-How did I forget those eyes?_ -He set down the mug and his mouth hung open. His teeth were flat, human teeth, just like he had human skin and hair and ears and eyes. There weren’t any trolls anymore, but he’d heard, he’d heard that they were human now. “You do?”

Dave hears the little ding of a bell from the kitchen window. A meal was ready for someone. “I can’t talk now, I’m working, but maybe after my shift?”

Something had softened the sharp edges of Eridan’s face. He did smile this time and Dave had a strange double vision of flickering earfins on the man’s face. “I’ll wait,” and the same emotion had gentled Eridan’s voice. It was hope.

“Two hours. Just wait until then.” And then, because he couldn’t stop himself after working at this place since he was old enough to work, he said, “Enjoy your meal.”

Eridan rolled his eyes but did turn to the food.

Dave snuck glances at him and a few more smiles when he came around with the coffee again and to check on his meal. Eridan had brought a book with him and took it out to read from while he ate and sipped his coffee. However, whenever Dave came around, he would look up and pay attention to him instead of the book, which Dave admitted to himself, was kind of nice.

It was eleven fifteen before he actually was able to get his coat and say goodbye to Margie at the front counter. Eridan had left the restaurant a few minutes before but Dave could see him lingering outside, a shadow on the lit windows.

He stepped out, shoving his hands into his pockets and shivering from the cold. It was December already and he could see his breath in the air. There was an ache in Dave’s gut for Houston’s winter, the kind where jackets were still optional late at night, but he’d never lived there in this life. But this was Portland and even if it didn’t snow properly it got fucking cold enough to do it. Eridan turned towards him once he walked out and he’d wrapped his scarf tighter around his chin and throat.

“You know, that’s a good idea,” Dave said, looking at the scarf pointedly, “Almost wish I had one myself.”

He didn’t expect Eridan to step closer to him, hands reaching up and unwinding the scarf he wore. He wrapped it around it Dave’s neck and tied it into a loose knot. Tucking the loose ends into Dave’s jacket he said, “Where do you want to go to talk?”

“My place?” Dave asked. He ducked his chin behind the cloth and bit his tongue to keep from telling Eridan he didn’t have to give up his scarf like that. Besides, wearing it for a little while wasn’t the same as getting it gifted to him. “Unless you have somewhere else you’d rather chat. Do you have a place here?”

Eridan shook his head. “I’m in a hotel right now. Your place is fine.”

“Be warned, I have some weird fucking roommates.” Dave said.

“Are they from the game?” Eridan said it with the same sort of brittleness that reminded Dave of how he had wanted to run when he realized that Eridan was from the game.

He shook his head. “Did you drive here?”

Eridan nodded. “You?”

“I usually walk. Or take the bus during its operational hours. Give me a ride and I’ll get us there.”

“Yeah.” Eridan turned and walked into the parking lot. Dave trotted a few steps until he caught up and then fell into step with him. Eridan glanced to him and Dave gave him a little smirk and hunched his shoulders up, burrowing his chin deeper into the scarf. This made Eridan smile, which, well, made Dave’s stomach flip a few times.

Eridan’s truck was an older model, though Dave wasn’t sure exactly which one. His interest in cars was a passing, vague thing of his childhood and that had been focused entirely on hotwheels and how fast he could make them crash into each other, the wall, and generally anything. There was a heavy plastic cover to the bed and while the front seat was mostly clear, the back seat was piled with a few bags and a box. Eridan got the door for Dave before going around to his side.

Dave settled into the seat and gave a grateful sigh when the heater kicked in after only a minute and blasted his cold legs with warmth. Eridan followed his direction without saying a thing, his brows furrowed like driving took all his concentration. Dave, watching him more than the streets, asked, “How long have you been in town?”

“A few days, maybe a week,” Eridan shrugged a shoulder, eyes never leaving the road, “Found a place to stay for a while, first off, but it’s just temporary.”

“Where did you come from?”

“Kansas,” Eridan gave a grimace.

Dave gave a low whistle, “That’s a hell of a drive. Why did you do it?” He couldn’t help leaning over slightly and teasing, “Did you come all this way to find little old me?”

Eridan-the-human blushing wasn’t much different than Eridan-the-troll blushing. That is, it started at his ears and crawled across his cheeks and made him just the prettiest color Dave had seen in a while. If he let his eyes unfocus just a little bit, he could imagine the cheeks were grey with purple instead of the tan with red that they were. He was so enthralled in that look that he nearly missed Eridan’s admission.

“Yeah. Mostly.”

For a minute there was only the sound of the right turn signal and the heater pumping hot air on them and then Dave whispered, “Really?”

Eridan focused on turning the truck for longer than Dave thought he needed to, but eventually said, “Yeah. Like I said. Mostly.”

“Here.” Dave murmured. “Third house on the right. You can use the driveway. Stace is the only other one with a car but she’s out this week.” They sat in silence as Eridan parked the car and then Dave found his hand reaching out. He ran his fingers over Eridan’s shoulder and then down his arm to his wrist. He held onto that and said, “Other than… other than Jade, John and Rose, you’re the only one who came looking for me.”

Eridan gave him a look he couldn’t decipher, Dave blamed that on the fact that he was human now and could hide his emotions better without those damn flippy little earfins, and said, “Let’s go inside and talk. Yeah?”

Dave nodded.

They got out of the car, Eridan pausing long enough to grab a bag from the back seat, and went into the house. “Like I said,” Dave said over his shoulder as he led Eridan up the stairs, “It’s a bit of a weird place, weird roommates and all that. And not… exactly the cleanest but at least there aren’t any maggots in the carpet.”

Dave gave the group gathered in the living room a bit of a smile, only a quarter of one really, and a nod. They said hello and stared at Eridan.

Eridan who, really, obviously, didn’t belong there. Dave himself wore black jeans and his dark grey jacket, old and patched in the left elbow, with only the bright scarf on his neck to show he’d changed at all. He gave a look at Eridan, suddenly seeing the rest of him, beyond the stains on his fingers and the violet of his eyes.

His dark brown hair was swept back from his face, the strip of purple, or had been purple when he wasn’t human, was a lighter brown almost blonde. He still had that narrow look, but with the navy blue peacoat and the pinstripe pants he wore under those, it was obvious that he had money of some kind. Even his kicks, a pair of converses, were fancy. They were a shade of violet that Dave had never seen available before.

Eridan looked around the room, wrinkling his nose at the smell and obviously avoiding looking at the kitchen. He gave Dave a quick look of assurance before nodding to the room of people. “Hi. I’m Aaron.”

Dave blinked, because he hadn’t expected that, but honestly, he should have. Eridan just wasn’t a human name. Of course he’d have a new one, a human one, given to him by human parents.

James, one of his roommates, gave Eridan a leer and said, “Nice catch, Dave. Try not to make him scream too loud. We’re having a party here.” A pair of women, one with her legs draped over James’s lap, giggled.

Dave rolled his eyes at James and shrugged a shoulder. “Come on,” He said to Eridan.

Eridan had turned his attention to James. There was something sharp to his gaze but Dave had recognized the slight slur in James’s voice. He stepped closer to Eridan and murmured, “He’s fucking drunk and high, just ignore him.”

Violet eyes flicked over the room and Eridan replied with barely moving his lips, “Let’s go to your room before I really start thinking about how to kill them.”

Taking Eridan by the hand, Dave led him up to the second set of stairs, “Goddamn, some things never fucking change,” He said, more to himself, “You’re still a homicidal little bastard, aren’t you?”

Eridan snorted. “Some personality traits survived the rebirth process. Just like the memories and the relationships.” He squeezed Dave’s hand back. “And just because I think about things doesn’t mean I have to carry them out. I have much better impulse control now. And it’s not like I’m in that kind of fucked up situation like I was before.”

Dave ushered him into his room, closing and locking the door behind Eridan after he did so. He left the overhead light off, not wanting to have to deal with its harsh light and instead turned on the lamp on the desk. It lit the room in a soft, golden glow.

There were clothes in a few piles on the floor, a desk wedged in one corner with a computer on one side and a sketchbook on the other side, but the main furniture was the bed. It sat low, almost on the floor but for a narrow box spring, and was piled high with blankets. Eridan dumped his bag, a shoulderbag Dave realized, and one made of what was probably genuine leather, by the desk and then turned and sat down on the edge of the bed. He drew his knees up near his chest and rested his arms on them.

Dave sighed and peeled off his jacket. “Do you mind if I change? I don’t want to be in these clothes anymore.”

“Only if you don’t mind if I watch,” Eridan said back.

Dave gave him a little smirk. “So what you said before, about relationships carrying through to the next life…” He paused, pulling his shirt over his head, “Does that apply to only us or did you find others that way? Did you find anyone else?”

“I’ve found most of everyone else, all the human kids and all my session and half of the other troll session,” Eridan did watch him as he stripped off his clothes, his eyes never leaving Dave’s body.

Dave shrugged on a sweatshirt- he was fucking cold and didn’t have a damn heater- and was crouched by a pile, digging around for sweatpants when Eridan said that. He looked up and blinked. “How long have you been looking?”

“A couple of years.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty eight, in human years.”

Dave chuckled, “And in troll years?”

“Almost thirteen sweeps,” Eridan shifted on the bed as Dave stood, tugging on his pants. “Everyone remembers different parts. Some remember the game the best, some remember the bubbles, some remember before the game easiest. I found Karkat first, but by accident and I almost missed him. He’s totally different, well, sort of.”

“Sort of?” Dave dropped down onto the bed beside Eridan, stretching out his legs. He sighed and leaned back, stretching his arms over his head. “Do I want to know?”

He felt Eridan’s shrug more than saw it. “I don’t know. Do you? You looked terrified when you realized I was from the game…” There was a long pause, where he took in a breath and let it out slowly, “What do you remember the most?”

Dave lay on his back, blankets under his head and part of his shoulders. Eridan twisted around to look at him. Dave ran a hand through his hair. He felt a tremor through his body- _Striders aren’t this expressive. Striders don’t relax like this in front of people, not seriously-_ but he wasn’t raised by Bro in this world so he thought he could ignore that. “From before the game? Most of everything. From the game itself? Mostly dying. In the bubbles? Well,” He sighed and closed his eyes. “There were lots of me out there, so many versions of me. I get most of that in dreams now, but I can remember chunks of it after I dream about it. Or maybe I’m just imagining it.”

Eridan’s hand was a warm, distantly familiar weight on his chest. “I remember before the game the clearest. The game itself mostly comes out in my nightmares. The only dream bubbles I can remember are the ones where I was… looking for others. Looking for Feferi or Karkat or you.”

Dave put his hand over Eridan’s hand and squeezed it down. “Are you going to change out of those clothes and get comfortable or do you plan on walking out after I fall asleep?”

“Dave,” Eridan whispered.

He opened his eyes. Eridan looked down at him from only inches away. “Well?”

“How much… do you remember? About the dream bubbles?”

Dave’s lips curled in a smirk. He gave a snort and couldn’t even feel bad when Eridan frowned at him. “Are you asking whether I remember you collecting me like stamps? Or is there something else that I’m supposed to be remembering?”

There was that delicious red blush again, although this time it went down Eridan’s throat as well. “I’ll admit, it wasn’t the… most considerate tactic but you had a tendency to vanish at the worst times and I got lonely without you.”

“How high did your count get to, in the end?”

Eridan shrugged. “I can’t remember. I remember looking for you, but not which one of you, just you. I think I always thought of each one of you as you, even if I did number them. It was the way to keep them separate. I didn’t want you to think that I couldn’t tell you apart from yourself or-”

Dave held his lips against Eridan’s until he was sure that he had stopped that twisty train of thought. They he lay back and smiled, “Change into some pajamas and keep me warm while I sleep. It’s fucking freezing and I miss the Houston warmth.”

“Why didn’t you go back there?” Eridan whispered. His head had dipped down. A puff of breath warmed Dave’s cheek and made him smile for just a moment.

“I looked into it,” Dave murmured, “But I didn’t have the money for it. And Bro’s down there. Or Dirk? Or someone. One of them. I googled them to be sure. I can’t… I can’t face them yet. Not now.”

“But you can face me.” Eridan’s fingers tapped against Dave’s chest.

“What can I say? You got my attention over and over again. I don’t think I could resist you harder than you could pursue me, in the end.” He let his eyes shut and gave a long sigh that came out as the words, “I don’t think I want to resist you, anyway. Talk about exhausting.”

Eridan’s hand pulled away but Dave spent a few more seconds with his eyes shut before he heard the definite feeling of Eridan getting off the bed.

He turned his head and watched as Eridan took off his coat, draping it over Dave’s computer chair, and began to strip down. He wore a vest, a nice one Dave supposed, over a button down shirt, and both were folded up and put on the computer chair before Eridan loosened his belt and let his pants slip down his legs. Dave gave a low whistle in admiration. Eridan looked over his shoulder and rolled his eyes at him. He pulled clothes from his bag, pajama pants and a shirt, and pulled them on without a care.

His socks were the last thing he took off, tossing them aside as he crawled back onto the bed.

Dave spent a dizzying moment looking up at Eridan, who knelt over him, knees on either side of his waist, hands on either side of his head, and smiled down at him. Then he reached up and pulled Eridan down on top of him. Eridan laughed and curled up with his face pressed against Dave’s neck and one hand in Dave’s hair.

Sighing happily, Dave murmured, “Tomorrow we’re going to fuck, but for tonight? This is nice.”

“Mmm,” Eridan’s breath was regular against his skin. Dave put his hand on Eridan’s shoulders, running up and down them. They were tangled together as they drifted to sleep and dreamt of dreams from a game and a life a long time ago.

 

 


End file.
